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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24407989">Rats in the Subway, Friends in the Sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aprilmallick/pseuds/Aprilmallick'>Aprilmallick</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Domesticity with a rich person at its finest [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Powers, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Deaf Clint Barton, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Multi, Tony-centric, either gen or polyavengers you decide, put on your shipping goggles, tony tries public transport for the first time</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:07:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,241</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24407989</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aprilmallick/pseuds/Aprilmallick</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is determined to learn all of NYC's public transport. Then he sees a rat in the subway and jumps into a nearby stranger's arms.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tony Stark &amp; Avengers Team</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Domesticity with a rich person at its finest [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1986463</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Rats in the Subway, Friends in the Sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tony knew he was being a pathetic rich asshole and absolutely ridiculous, but that didn’t stop him from dreading the subway. He knew he was far too spoiled with his personal driver, but he was trying to fix it! He was determined to learn the public transport of New York City if it killed him . . . and judging by all the people breathing in his personal space, several with coughs and runny noses, it might. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With every step he took deeper and deeper into the underground, he had to consciously remind himself not to flee. People kept smacking into him, and it was so noisy, and smelly,  and- this was sensory overload, wasn’t it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At long last Tony made it to the subway platform, his pass in hand, and breathed a small sigh of relief. Now he just had to transverse a very full car full of people, make it to his stop, and he’d finally be able to see sunlight again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except first . . . Tony let out an embarrassingly loud yelp and leapt into the nearest person’s arms. He hadn’t meant to, but he’d literally jumped away from the horrific sight of a greasy gorangutang rat, and some blond-haired blue-eyed stranger had caught him, bridal style carry. They stared at each other for a beat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um,” Hot stranger said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-sorry,” Tony managed. “I- there was a rat.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The poor adonis tried to put him down gently, but Tony’s arms were still looped around his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh fuck, sorry.” Tony hastily withdrew them, allowing himself to be put back on his feet. “Ah, I’m Tony?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Steve,” Steve said, still looking adorably bemused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clint!” another sandy-haired guy cheered, giving Tony an enthusiastic wave. He was wearing a purple uh, everything. When he turned his head a little, Tony caught sight of hearing aids, also purple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’m Bucky,” A dark haired man with stunning blue-grey eyes said, shoving his face into their space. “I know we just met but we’re going to Central Park, do you wanna come?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll protect you from rats,” A petite red-haired woman added. She looked like she could easily snap her friend’s necks without breaking a sweat. Just had that type of aura.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony’s face flamed. Oh G-d. Hot blonde guy’s friends had seen the whole thing and they thought he was so pitiful that now they were inviting him to come hang out with them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No pressure,” Steve said encouragingly, giving Tony a friendly smile. “You’re just really cute and- shit, did I say that out loud?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Scary redhead said, looking supremely unconcerned. “Cuz it’s true.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky nodded in agreement and Clint flashed Tony a wink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The subway car finally pulled up, ten minutes behind schedule, and Tony still hadn't given an answer. But well, he was going that way anyways, and . . . “I’d love to,” he heard himself say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yay!” Clint cheered. “I call dibs on sharing a seat with you if it’s full.” He grabbed Tony’s hand and bounded into the subway car. Tony let himself be dragged along willingly. Somehow being squished in between people didn’t seem so bad now that he was sandwiched between Clint and Steve. Turned out that being too close to strangers wasn’t as bad if said strangers were hot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha perched on Bucky’s lap and smiled sweetly at all the other passengers who visibly shivered whenever they accidentally made eye contact with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the subway car finally came to a screeching halt at the right stop, Tony’s newfound friends were all gentlemanly (and gentlewomanly, in Natasha’s case) enough to make sure Tony didn’t get lost in the wave of people exiting the car, and then the station. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony could feel his shoulders loosening as the sunlight hit him, even though he did have to blink far too many times to get his eyes readjusted to light. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what are you doing in the park?” Tony asked as they walked down the crowded street, people scowling at how big of a group they were. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve shrugged. “Enjoying the nice day. I’m going to sketch, Clint and Buck will probably toss a frisbee around. Nat’ll sunbathe. Maybe spar with Thor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thor?” Tony asked, trying really hard to keep up with how many people there were. No one had introduced themselves as Thor yet, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Other friend we’re meeting in the park,” Bucky said. “You didn’t think this was all of us, did ya?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also Sam,” Clint chimed in. “Scott might come with Hope, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony had no idea how people made this many friends. Bruce and Rhodey were never going to believe him when he told them about today. “Are you sure they’ll all be okay with me tagging along?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course they will!” Steve said indignantly. “And if not, Natasha will end them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s true,” Natasha agreed, “I will. I’ll take great pleasure in it, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just Sam and Thor were waiting for them at the park. Tony didn’t know which was which but the black guy gave them a ‘sup’ not and a grin while the buff blondie waved like a maniac. Wasn’t blonde hair supposed to be rare? How did three of them have blonde hair? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good genetics?” Bucky offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony blushed. He hadn’t realised he was thinking out loud. It was common, since he spent most of his free time alone in his workshop bouncing ideas off of himself and his bots. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yours aren’t too bad either,” Tony said without thinking, considering Bucky’s broad torso, silky hair and piercing grey-blue eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky gave him a crinkly-eyed smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, who’s this?” The Black guy asked. “Picking up strays again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Tony,” Steve said, ignoring Sam’s teasing tone. “He jumped into my arms while we were in the subway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Cuz he saw a rat,” Clint said helpfully. “It was adorable.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tony!” Third blonde guy boomed. “I am Thor. May I call you Anthony?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh . . . sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mind him,” Bucky murmured. “Thor likes to do things . . . differently. Think viking at a renaissance faire.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So it seemed. Thor called Steve “Steven,” Sam “Samuel,” Bucky “James,” and referred to Natasha as “Lady Natasha.” Only Clint got to keep his nickname for some reason (because Clinton is a dumb name and only Natasha is allowed to call him that. And only when he’d really fucked up).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re Sam,” Tony said to the last guy, proud to have remembered even just one name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No I’m Bob,” the man deadpanned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony blinked at him confusedly. He didn’t remember that name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s yanking your chain,” Natasha said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t be mean to him Sam, or they’ll never find your body.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam held his hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright. Sorry man, you seem cool. You’ve gotta be, for these clowns to invite you to hang.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Th-thanks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group kicked off the rest of the day clowning around like all young adults should, chatting with Tony whom they all apparently found just as fascinating as he found them. Best of all, at the end of the day they all exchanged their numbers for his and offered to help him use the bus system to get back home, which he gratefully accepted. Before he even walked through his front door he already had at least one text apiece from each of his new friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Around 9:00 pm his phone screen lit up with a text from Rhodey, </span>
  <em>
    <span>So did you survive all of NYC’s public transport?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony smiled and prepared to answer. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a>Check out my Tumblr if you'd like!</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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